Banana Farming Thrives in Kapiri, Mchinji

By Luke Magombo

Blantyre, Malawi

Smallholder farmers in Kapiri, under Traditional Authority Dambe in Mchinji District are turning to banana farming as a reliable source of income.

                     Banana field (video)

Community leader of Kapiri Mr. Mavuto Mwale explains that farmers chose to focus on bananas due to rising market demand and attractive prices offered by supermarkets and traders in Lilongwe. “Bananas are a high demand crop,” he says. “With proper care, even small plots can generate significant profits for farmers, just imagine, in Tanzania, Zambia, Milanje in Mozambique, our friends get more profits with Banana .

Bananas require relatively low investment and can be harvested multiple times throughout the year, providing farmers with a consistent cash flow. Beyond selling fresh fruit, value added products such as banana chips, juice and dried bananas are creating new market opportunities and boosting household income, in Karonga, people depend on Banana as staple food and called on their local name,"kitimoto".

Even a small plot, when well managed, can produce substantial yields. Buyers from both local and urban markets are increasingly sourcing bananas for sale and processing, making the crop a dependable financial asset for smallholder farmers.

Photo of banana garden

In addition to profitability, banana farming supports household food security by providing a nutritious fruit for home consumption. The crop also benefits the farm ecosystem, improving soil fertility and allowing for inter cropping with maize, beans or other staple crops to maximize productivity.


Comments

nelsonmtemera1@gmail.com said…
Growing bananas is good, there is no fruit as delicious as bananas.
February 22, 2026 at 11:07 AM
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